These are good cycles to know, especially if one trades weeklyoptions on the SPY. It is very helpful in helping one identify and setting up the proper Option Trading Strategy for a market that may be beairsh for the next 30 days. Good insight. optionsweekly.org/

Wonderful article. I have been in BTU and recently got out of it as it hit the 64 level This level has not been hit since December of 2007 and I used it as a time to sell signal. As you wrote: "The coal sector looks more appealing on the short side than the long side" this is why it looks very appealing.

I have followed MSPD and I agree with the author's analysis here. Seems like a solid company and I am looking for a turn around this year. But I would also wait and follow the stock possibly down to 4.50 even before I'd invest. Momentum is still carrying this stock down.

"As the eurozone works to improve its member economies and concerns about Greece once again are renewed, the Netherlands may be poised for an inconspicuous, but rapid recovery. For the last month, the Netherlands ETF has been a eurozone standout, gaining 3.3%."

Tom I have been following their unemployment rate & I think with the investmentsd that have been coming in the Netherlands, there is no reason that we should not see that stock move higher now.

"Most of the indexes to which U.S.-listed equity ETFs are linked use a market capitalization weighting strategy, meaning that the allocation given to a particular component stock is based on the market cap of the company. But ETFs utilizing “alternative” weighting methodologies have become increasingly popular in recent years."

Make you make a good point here. There are a larger number of ETF's now with weighted strategies that may work better for daily trading I have heard. Not sure how good they are for long term though.

"Outsourcing companies such as Kelly Government Solutions, a division of Kelly Services (NASDAQ:KELYA) , was recently awarded a $750 million contract to provide the National Institutes of Health, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

I really like this new contract. I think the stock does also, after it finishes resting here, this stock is going to go another 20% before it is really challenged again.

"Pitney Bowes Inc. (PBI), the office equipment company, somewhat falls into the category of technology. The stock yields 6.0%, has a forward P/E of 10, and has a market cap of $5.1 billion. The company has paid dividends since 1993."

I really like PBI, it is very strong both fundamentally & technically. If we can get past 25.3 we have places to go. Thank you for your fine article.

"A few fund-specific numbers from March are noteworthy. Vanguard’s Emerging Markets ETF (VWO) continues to gain ground on the competing iShares fund. VWO took in about $774 million last month"

Michael, thank you for the very informative article. I am a great fan of VWO as you wrote about here. I beleive they have just pushed through a significant resistance area and will now continue upward after a long consolidation.

"The data is pretty crisp in its presentation; that is, you have to go further and further out on the risk scale to lose less money from Income ETFs. The longer the U.S treasury, the more money you have lost on your investment in a very brief period of time."

"Interested investors can look to ETFs as a cost-effective way to invest in gold, as well; especially if the dollar remains weak."

Tom, this is good advice. I always like your columns on ETF's. It is interesting that these people are banking on the economic uncertainty. It will be interesting to see our future, I am not so sure gold will move up in the short term. This is one thing I have a question about. Is there outlook long term or short term?

Great article, this gives us a whole lot to think of. I am one of the those many whole have strategically looked at the dollar as in investment this year. It looked like the problems in Europe might cause the dollar to grow substantially this year. But you make a good point. This "foundation" may mean the reaction to Europe as a whole might not take place yet and we could see a movement in the Euro.

"However, the stock appears to have formed a "double top" around $66.60, slightly higher than the level where it peaked in September 2008. Chart watchers may consider that area as important resistance, and some traders are taking profits."

That double top seems to be awfully close to consider it a formation. Looks more like just a simple bounce off resistance at this point since it also reached and bounced off that level in October of 2008. May have reached a top yes but not because of a double top.